PNB Chapter 120 Portrait of the previous head of the family
Chapter 120 Portrait of the previous head of the family
From the very beginning of my journey to this world, I never intended to let anyone go.
'Guests, allies, demons, and even myself—all those who awakened me and plunged me back into utter ruin will not have an easy time.'
Shaking her head in frustration, Yoshitaka went to the infirmary in the back courtyard, trying to shake off the resentment that kept surfacing in her mind: "How was the treatment for that Iga-ya envoy? Did he drink the wine?"
The deacon standing beside her did not respond, his head bowed like a statue, staring blankly at the ground.
"Tsk, I wonder how the Karasuma family managed to do that." She stopped massaging her temples, removed her gloves, revealing a dazzling gold thumb ring on her left thumb, and waved it in front of the servant. "Now you can answer me, right?"
Upon seeing the ring, the steward immediately bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle and respectfully reported, "Yes, Master. This guest has completed his treatment and is currently being held in a ward, ready to be questioned at any time."
"Take me there, the rest of you stay here. Contact me immediately if there is any news about Well Fifty."
"Yes!"
Following behind the attendant, they entered this space that was written as a "ward" but read as a "prison." Si Ling slowly put on his gloves, pushed open the door, and looked at the "Wu Huan Formation" handcuffed to the bars.
She stared at Karasuma Jin's barely concealed surprise, then narrowed her eyes with amusement: "The envoy of the Igaya Class A, are you surprised to see that I'm not dead?"
It wasn't just shocking, it was the worst possible scenario!
Karasuma Jin stared at Yoshitaka with a livid face. Just that one sentence completely ruined all the prepared remarks he had made.
According to the intelligence we had previously obtained, the rule that immortals would be absorbed if they touched the head was inevitable, but in the previous raid, Siling became the unexpected one!
With the vital point still uncertain, and the existence of the Iga-ya being discovered, he truly wanted to commit seppuku to atone for his sins!
Now that his identity had been exposed, Karasuma Jin stopped pretending. His brows furrowed tightly, and his eyes were filled with suspicion.
“Akiko Iwasaki, why aren’t you dead? I saw with my own eyes that Renya Karasuma touched the top of your head.”
Siling: ^_^
Hearing how eloquent he was, Si Ling tapped her palm lightly with her folding fan and revealed a kind smile.
She didn't die, of course, because the stakes she was offered were all different.
After the meeting, just as he had instigated others, the devil came to her room and explained the rules of the game.
"With just the life of one immortal, you can obtain the recipe for the Elixir of Immortality, the panacea... Quack!"
Noticing something, the crow suddenly swelled up a bit, and after recovering in a moment, it abruptly changed the subject: "Or, you can exchange it for a special reward, a life for a life, absorbing other people to offset the disaster that will cost you your life."
In retrospect, it was probably only because the Black Gate had caught its attention that it increased its stakes halfway through—like the chance to pay with its life in her hand, and the Karasuma family head's ring in Shuanghe's hand.
Stepping back from her thoughts, Siling rubbed her stiff, smiling face and said, "Don't be so resistant~"
“Times have changed. I am now formally informing Igaya, in my capacity as the head of Japan’s political and economic circles, that I have some deals I would like to discuss with His Majesty the Emperor in the Seiryo-dono Palace.”
"Impossible!" Karasuma Jin rejected the idea without hesitation. "To meet His Majesty the Emperor, one must at least possess the status of the Dojo family..."
"Slap!" "Kid, get your facts straight! I'm the one who controls most of Japan's economic lifeline right now!"
A crisp slap landed, and Siling, rubbing his wrist, grabbed Wu Wanzhen's forehead, inputting a small portion of other companies' secrets into it: "With this business intelligence alone, I could thrive in any country. It should be Japan trying to keep me here, not me wagging my tail at anyone else!"
As he spoke, Siling took the hemp rope from the steward and tied the Wuwan Formation into a rice dumpling.
"I spared your life only for future negotiations."
She suddenly pulled him close, bringing his face close to hers, and threatened him by pressing the fan handle against his nose.
"Iga-ya has assigned you several tasks, one of which is to search for the treasure hidden beneath the mansion. Either cooperate, or I'll let you experience the cruel tortures of the Qing Dynasty in the East."
The finely polished and sharpened ivory fan blades were extremely sharp; with just a little force, Si Ling left bloodstains on his face.
The pain instantly brought back memories of his training. Karasuma Jin remained silent for a moment, then revealed a resolute look in his eyes:
“Alright, if it’s for His Majesty the Emperor’s benefit, I can take you there.”
"I wish I had said no earlier."
Following the directions given by Iga-ya, Yotsuba arrived at the Karasuma residence's underground wine cellar and stroked his chin in front of the huge Karasuma family crest on the wall.
She raised her high heels, aimed at the gloomy-looking Wu Huanzhen, and kicked him a few times in the back without any manners: "Don't give me that sour look! Explain what's going on here."
"According to royal records, the construction of the Twilight Villa involved many issues. The then Emperor sent Iga ninjas to inspect it, including the speculation about a hidden room behind the wine cellar."
"A darkroom..."
Siling arrived at the wall of the wine cellar, raised his hand and knocked. The solid, thick stone wall was not something that could be moved by human force. He could not confirm whether there was a cavity behind it by this method alone.
They had searched every corner of the mansion, but there was no trace of Isoui. Since the help given by the devil was related to this mansion, it was not impossible that Isoui had escaped here.
If the intelligence is true, there may be specific agencies stationed here as well.
Holding a powerful flashlight, Siling patiently examined every pattern on the floor and walls, and sure enough, he discovered something!
He shone the light into the dark, greenish cracks in the wall. Different types of wine have different humidity requirements, and it's quite normal for moss to grow in a dark, stuffy cellar. But this area stores aged wines, which need a relatively dry environment to prevent the corks from getting moldy. Compared to the other well-preserved treasures, this oversight is highly suspicious.
He ordered his men to move the wine rack along the sliding rails, revealing a clock relief carved into the marble wall behind the wooden partition.
The only movable part of the surface is the pointer, which points to midnight, suggesting some kind of mechanism with time markings as its code.
'This is...!'
Si Ling stepped forward and stroked the clock's case, which was adorned with feathers, a surge of joy welling up within him. He had read about it in the original owner's memories; it was a secret method passed down through their family!
First turn 13 degrees to the left, then 12 degrees to the left, and finally 11 degrees to the right.
Ding-dong! Boom—
The moment the password was entered, a clear, resonant bell-like sound emanated from within the marble. The internal mechanism turned, and the thick, sturdy stone wall slowly opened amidst the noise. As the gap widened, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst forth.
Inside the brightly lit treasure vault, a series of rare treasures are scattered around, including warm, lustrous pearls the size of walnuts, lifelike specimens of a bird species that has been confirmed to be extinct, and a single, translucent piece of amethyst as tall as a person.
Ten meters away, beside a pillar, Wu Shijing gripped the pin of an armor-piercing grenade in his left hand and held a silver-plated dagger in his right, ready to strike.
At the far end of this vast basement, a huge oil painting of two figures, their faces almost indistinguishable, hangs in the center of the wall, protected by a glass case. A tear slides down a cheek.